What Goes On
by Embelem
Summary: A oneshot seriese on all the crazy things that go on in the Jade Palace from laughs to drama to romance. This is my first story: I hope you like it!  Constructive critisizm please and a big shout out to FFcrazy15 for being a great inspiration!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey I was Zayzay, now I'm me! This is my first fanfic and I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Chapter 1 Advice**

Tigress sat, her legs dangling over the side of a cliff, reflecting on the day as a cool winter breeze ruffled her bright fur. Master Shifu had given all of the warriors of the Jade Palace the day off and they had proceeded to each go on their own way. Po, predictably, went to his fathers shop to visit and help out, giving the village a nice buzz with his presence. Monkey and Mantis spent the day trying to think of new tactics in the unofficial prank war going on between the two, which was actually pretty interesting to watch. Crane and Viper wandered through the bamboo forest outside the village like love struck lunatics; this was a common activity of the two, after they started dating a few months after the defeat of Lord Shen, thought Crane was still awkward in the relationship.

As for Tigress, she went to the small drop off below the musicians' village where she often sat to pass time. It overlooked the Valley of Peace and provided a peaceful, serene environment.

Her ears flickered. Someone was approaching her from behind, their footsteps having given them away. She started to rise and get into her defensive position until she realized she new the footfalls. Crane emerged from around a tree, looking slightly nervous. She relaxed and greeted him.

"Hello Master Crane. What brings you here?" She said gently.

"Hey Tigress, I-um-kinda wanted to ask you about something. About Viper. You see, I wanted- I mean I was thinking about…."

Tigress just smiled. She had thought of the avian as more of a brother, and he her, him having been the second new student at the Palace, next to Viper. She had seen Vipers interest in him immediately, but she didn't know how to handle a bond with a boy her own age, growing up in the orphanage. The two slowly formed a warm brother/sister relationship that not many knew about.

"Crane," she said, breaking the silence," What ever it is you need to say I assure you, I won't discriminate against."

He relaxed. "Well I want to get a Winter Festival gift for Viper but I have no idea what to get her. She has tons of ribbons and enough make up to paint a house, so those are out and I've gone blank on any other ideas. I was wondering if you could help me."

She thought for a moment then spoke up. "It's winter. Her being a reptile she won't be able to conserve body heat nearly as easily. You could get her a small robe that she could tie around herself to keep warm, even get her name sewn onto it. I think she would benefit." She said.

He brightened. "That's a great Idea! Man, it never crossed my mind at all, thank you. I can't believe I didn't think of that earlier…."

"Your very much welcome." She said smiling. He thanked her again, and turned to leave. "And Crane…," she spoke up. He turned back to her.

"You don't have to be so nervous around Viper. She loves you for who you are, believe me, I know. And you do too. Relax and let yourself enjoy the relationship not just worry about it." She said sincerely.

He starred at her, looked at the ground, and then spoke. "Your-your right. I just want to make her happy, I care for her so much….." He looked up at her again. "Thank you Tigress. Thank you Sister." He said.

She simply smiled and with one last look, Crane turned and disappeared back into the forest.

Tigress sighed contently and turned back to the valley. Seeing that is was getting fairly late she stood and started to walk back to the palace, when she suddenly realized something strange.

_Man, I have never been hungrier in my entire life._

A/N: like it? I've always liked the thought of a sibling relationship between Tigress and Crane. Don't know why, just do. Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 That Dreaded Question

"Come on, where are you…." Po mumbled as he dug deep into the Jade palace kitchen cabinets, looking for a bag of Monkeys famous almond cookies he had hidden a week ago. He knew they were in there, he just couldn't find the little munchkins, but that wasn't about to stop a hungry kung fu master! "I'm gonna getcha!" he whispered to himself. "You can't escape the Dragon Warrior, you little-"

"Baba!"

Po jumped and smacked his head against the top of the cupboard. "OW!" he shouted, and then turned around to look at the small cheetah cubs at his feet.

They stared back up at him with amused eyes. "We have a question for you", Jaio-Long said, snickering, and looked at his sister, Li-Hua, who was trying, and failing, to contain her laughter.

Po smiled at his two children. Twins, barley of age 6 but full of energy and curiosity. He remembered the day he and Tigress had adopted them, just a week after their wedding. They were barely out of nursing and dropped at off at the steps of the Bao-Gou orphanage on the coldest day of the year with nothing but a small white blanket wrapped around the two of them. When the newlyweds went they were only planning on adopting one child but, not willing to separate brother from sister, they decided to adopt them both, a decision that was not regretted in the least bit to this day.

"Yes, what did you want to know Spots" he said, using his pet name for both of them.

They giggled again, and from the glint in their eyes, Po could tell this was not going to be an every day conversation.

"Baba…." Li-Hua spoke up, "where do babies come from?"

Po, who had long since given up on the cookies and started eating dumplings, choked and forced down the food in his throat, coughing hard. What was this? They were only six! He was hopping he wouldn't have to give this speech until they were at least 12. Or 30. Or never. "Um… what was that?" he asked.

"Where do babies come from?" she repeated, curiously.

"Uhh….heh…umm", he stuttered, trying to think of a way out of this. "Well you see when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much they….." he dropped off.

"They what!"

"They um… see they just….it's kinda like uh….your mother! Go ask your mother!" He shouted impulsively, but immediately regretted it. Tigress would murder him if she knew he was putting this burden on her. He was about to tell them never mind, but they had already left down the corridor to he and Tigress' bedroom where she was looking through old meditation scrolls. "Wait!" he said, and ran after them.

The cubs were faster than he was and made it to their room first. He caught the end of,"-ies come from" from his daughter, and froze outside the doorway. He could almost feel tigress flush at the question, but being the clever strategist that she was, she already knew how to handle this situation.

"Why would you want to know that?" He heard her ask coolly.

"Well, you 'member the bandits you and Baba fought while we were in the village yesterday?" Jaio-Long asked.

She nodded.

"After you beat 'em you and Aunt Viper said you had to go help a lady with her baby. We were wonderin' do bandits bring babies. Is that why there are so many kids in the village? Will they bring any more cheetahs? How do they carry-"

"Whoa, son, slow down", Tigress said laughing. "First off, no, bandits don't bring babies. Second, Viper and I were just helping a woman find her child yesterday, that's all. And thirdly, I would appreciate if my husband would stop hiding and come help me explain this."

Po stepped guiltily around the corner and looked at his wife who was giving him an as-soon-as-this-is-over-your-in-trouble look. He went over to the bed and sat down next to her, leaving a little distance between the two of them just in case.

"Okay, well if bandits don't bring babies then where do they come from?" spoke up Li-Hua.

Po and Tigress looked at each other. They had become almost experts on talking with their eyes, something that came in handy in battle and with their kids.

_Do you really want to tell them?_

_Of course not, they're too young and wouldn't understand anyway._

_Well what do you want to do? _

_Lets just go with the classic for now._

_Which is…?_

She gave him an amused are-you-kidding-me look.

_Ohhh, yeah, let's do it!_

They looked back at the two anxious cubs. "Well, you see," Tigress started," when a couple want a new baby, they simply contact the Stork."

"The _Stork?_" they both said simultaneously, confused.

"Yeah!" Po said. "It's a bird that brings a new baby to a family that asks for one."

"You simply send a message to the Stork telling him what kind of animal you want, like a boy or a girl, a bunny or a cheetah, and he brings it to you", said Tigress.

They stared at them. "A bird?" asked Jaio-Long. "You mean like Uncle Crane?"

"Um, well sort of-" Po said.

"Uncle Crane gives babies? Oh, can he give one to me and Jaio to take care of. I want a baby!" said Li-Hua, excitedly.

"You guys, it's not that simple-", Tigress spoke up but was cut off.

"Uncle Crane! Uncle Crane!" The twins both shouted, and bolted out of the room to find the avian.

"Wait you guys!" Po said even thought the cubs were long gone. He looked at Tigress. "What should we do?" he asked.

She just smiled, leaned forward, and kissed him. "Crane's in the village. It'll take them a while to find him but in the meantime…." She ran her paw up his chest, making him shiver slightly, "Training hall. Now." She said before bringing her knee up into his stomach. He doubled over in pain, moaning.

"That was for trying to put that whole thing on Me." smirked, and left to warm up for their sparing.

"Not my best idea", he said to before getting up and following her, "but worth it."

**A/N: So how was it? Great? Terrible? Give me some feed back! Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this, it means a lot. Till next time! I will, just for fun, leave a random fact at the end of every chapter for you.**

**Random fact:**** Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Never Forgotten

A/N: This is an idea I've had for a while but I'm not sure if you'll like it very much. Oh well, hope you do anyway.

As soon as she heard him stomping down dark hallway, followed by the slamming of his door, she could tell he and Master Shifu had had another falling out. Over the Dragon Scroll no doubt, as it was becoming a common occurrence. The small, 5-year-old cub sighed and got off of her bed, walking toward her door. Pushing it open, she stared at the door in front of her where she knew her brother stay, more than likely trying not to punch a hole through the wall. It pained her so dearly to see him like this.

She stepped into the hall and slowly pushed open the Tai-Lung's door. As she had anticipated, he was sitting in the corner, clenching and unclenching his fist, a terrible expression on his face. His claws were out and blood was dripping onto the floor from where they had cut his paws. He talked without looking at her. "Tigress." He said, his voice shaking from pure anger. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy at the moment?" He was slumped against the wall, his eyes glowing in the night. She approached him slowly and very carefully. Tigress had seen the worst of her brother's moods, and right now, he was unpredictable as to what his reactions may be.

When Tigress had arrived at the Palace seven months ago she completely idolized Tai Lung. He would train with her, show her new techniques, and when she had nightmares about her past he would always be there to comfort her, but when he turned 18, and was eligible for the dragon scroll, things started deteriorating. Grandmaster Oogway would always reject him every time he would perform a demonstration to try and earn it. She could never figure out why, though. He had a perfect form, complete balance, and had mastered all ten thousand scrolls of Kung Fu faster than anyone else . It was true, he had a temper, but weren't fighters supposed to be fierce? She never dared to ask; it was not her place, and she knew it. After every rejection he would do exactly what he was doing now, and she, when he would let her, would come find him, wherever he may be, and try to return the comfort he had once gave to her.

"Tai…" she said, and finally went to sit next to him. He didn't look at her but rather continued to stare at the wall like it leaked venom. She reached and took one of his injured paws. "It'll be okay Tai. You'll get the Dragon scroll one day. I know you will." She said, trying to be positive.

Though he wouldn't look at her, he responded. "Not again." He said, the fury still in his voice.

She was confused. "What?"

"I will not be rejected again," he said. "Never. I have performed sequence after sequence for them and all they ever do is reject me. _It will not happen again._" When he finally looked at her, she could tell from his eyes that he was about to do something, something bad. "Tigress" he said taking her by the shoulders and looking at her hard. "Whatever happens tonight, know that is isn't against you. But I cannot keep living for something I can never have. Cannot and Will not." He stood and pulled her up with him. His muscles were tense with anticipation.

"Tai what are you talk-", she started.

"Don't ask" he said firmly. "It's better that you don't know."

"O-okay" she said, unsure. "I love you Tai."

He lifted her into his arms and hugged her for a long time. "I love you too, baby sister. Never forget that." He said, and for that moment, all of his anger was gone.

Tigress was crying by the time he put her down. He kissed her forehead gently and exited the room. She just stood there, too stunned to move and heartbroken to anything else. Eventually she managed to walk back to her room and crawl into bed. She pulled the small blanket over her head and forced her eyes closed, though it was a long time before she went to sleep.

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

That was the night Tai-Lung attacked the valley. A night Master Tigress remembered so vividly. As she grew thru ought the years she often reflected on that night. The bond she and Tai-lung shared was shattered when she understood what he had done to the valley. She hadn't seen the evil behind it when she was young, too blinded by her love for him. When she and the Furious 5 went to try and stop him after he broke out of prison, as soon as they arrived at the bridge and she saw the wild-eyed, merciless being before her, she could tell that her brother had died a long time ago and was replaced with someone that was fueled only by hatred and revenge. She was forced to put aside their past and fight for the valley, but it nearly killed her inside. Of course, many things had changed since that day so long ago. She was no longer the insecure child trying to find herself that she once was. She was Tigress, Master of the Tiger style and leader of the Furious Five, a fearsome warrior that fought for the people and things she loved. But Tai Lung will forever live in her memories, never fading. He was the first person she had formed a connection with, the first one to hold her hand and hug her. He had supported her in every way he could and inspired her to be what she is today. But most importantly, Tai Lung was the first person to tell her he loved her, before her father, and before her Grandfather.

And for that reason she would never forget him, evil or not.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N Thank you all so much for your reviews! I can't believe I got 15 already. Your guys are awesome! And sorry if Tigress seems OOC. I tried to avoid it.**

Master Shifu was nearing the peak of his inner peace. Sitting in the Masters chamber, near midnight, surrounded by shimmering candle light, created the perfect, serene environment for an old geezer to fall into complete balance with himself, the world, and the universe. He sat, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, letting his mind wander to whatever it deemed enjoyable at the moment as the candles seemed to glow brighter by the minuet….

_Knock, knock, knock!_

He sighed. _There_ _went the peace _he thought. "Yes. Who is it." He asked if not slightly irritated.

"Master?" Spoke two voices in union from outside the door. He recognized them immediately.

"Come in." he said. Po and Tigress stumbled into the room, looking much like they did not want to be there. Po was scuffling his feet together, as he did when he was nervous, and Tigress was ridged as a statue, her hands claps tightly behind her.

"Um… Shifu?" Po spoke up first, slowly. "We need to talk to you about something, but first _please_ promise not to kill either of us." He looked beyond nervous now, as if he was confessing to wrecking Grandmaster Oogway's memorial chamber. Again.

"That depends, what do you wish to speak to me about?" he asked.

"It concerns both of us." Tigress spoke up. "To put it bluntly, for a while now, we've-" she dropped off.

"You've what?"

"We've…kinda been… seeing each other." Po said, and unconsciously took a few steps toward the door, just in case he needed to bolt.

"This has been going on for a while and we knew you needed to know. Please accept our apologies for not coming sooner." Said tigress, without a flaw.

Shifu did not move a muscle for a long time. Then, shocking the panda and the tiger into complete stupidity, he began to laugh. Not a simple chuckle, or a smirk, but a full blown laugh.

"Master….?" They both said in union. He must have heard wrong or not heard at all or SOMETHING.

"Master, are you drunk?" Po asked, thinking of no other explanation. Shifu had calmed by then and finally stood and turned to them.

"No panda, I guarantee you I am completely sober. It's just amusing that you think this is news to me." He said, shocking them even more.

"You already knew of this?" Tigress asked, her golden eyes wide.

"I think I've caught you two making out more than enough times."

They blushed deeply, it even showing through Tigress' multicolor fur. This was _not_ the reaction they were expecting.

"But…if you knew, why didn't you say anything to us?" Po asked.

He chuckled. "Simple. I wanted to see if you would have the respect and maturity to come to me on this matter without me confronting you." He turned around and got back into his meditative position. "Test Passed. I give you both my blessing." The two warriors looked from Shifu, to each other, then back at Shifu, not sure what to do at this point.

"Sooooooo…we can go?" Po asked.

"I _would_ like to return to my meditation."

"Um, Okay." Tigress said, for once at a loss for words.

They quickly exited the room and shut the door behind them. There was a long, tense silence.

"Well, that was awkward." Po said, breaking it.

"You don't say?" she said sarcastically, though not harshly. "I don't understand why you thought it so urgent that we do this now, though. I mean, you were in the village all day and when you return you practically begged me to go ahead with you and confess."

Po smiled. "There's a reason."

"Which is?"

"I couldn't wait any longer." He responded, stepping in front of her. "Tigress, ever since the first time you kissed me, I could tell there was no other woman that would make me happy." (A/N Sappy, I know. Sorry) He got down on one knee and took her paws.

"What- what are you…"

He smiled. "Tigress will you do the honor of marring me?"

)-()-()-()-(

Shifu chuckled again, as he heard his daughter's happy cry and the Dragon Warrior grunt under her embrace. The panda had phenomenal acting skills and apparently so did he, seeing as Master Tigress never once picked up on the fact that Po had already came to him about their relationship and asked permission to propose to her, and only went through this whole ordeal so that he could. While he had had to reframe himself from strangling Po when he first found out he could see that he truly loved her, and he would trust no other man with his daughter.

He sighed contently, sinking back into his meditation, when suddenly a very disturbing thought hit him.

_By the gods, I never thought about grandchildren! _


	5. Chapter 5 Orange with Black Stripes

Chapter 5 Orange With Black Stripes

**A/N: This is a random idea I came up with when it got home today. Hope you like it!**

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Oh, how would even know?"

Viper sighed as she watched the four men go back and forth in the argument. It has started off as any normal day in the palace: Get up after the gong, have thirty minutes of meditation, and then Po would cook them all breakfast. Tigress had chosen to skip it and meditate through the morning, but in her absence, Po, Monkey, Crane, and Mantis had somehow gotten on the topic of…

This.

"Dude, open your eyes! It's obvious that tigers are black with orange stripes!" said Mantis. They had all finished eating and were lollygagging in the kitchen. Mantis was standing on Po's head in a meager attempt to make himself look bigger. It was him and Po vs. Monkey and Crane and he was determined to beat them out.

"Have you ever looked at Tigress' fur?" Crane asked, and continued. "The black stripes end. If she were black with orange stripes the _orange_ would end, not the black."

"You only say that because her orange stripes are big. She's still over all black!" Po shot back.

"Then look at her face; the designs are black on an orange background. You can't deny that!" Monkey said. "Tigress is orange with black stripes."

"Maybe Tigress is, but not all tigers are like that. Some have orange stripes and black fur." Mantis said, jumping from Po's head to his shoulder.

"What other tigers have you even _seen_ besides Tigress?" Crane questioned.

"I don't need to see them to know we're right!" he shouted. "Tigers are black with orange stripes. Deal with it."

"They are not!" Monkey and Crane both said in union.

"Are too!" Po and Mantis said, simultaneous also.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are _not_!"

"Ahem."

They all turned toward the doorway to find the topic of their conversation standing in the frame. Tigress had her paws on her hips, an unreadable expression on her face.

"You know, the whole conversation aside, it leaves me to wonder why you all look at me enough to begin debating my fur coloring." She said with an evil smirk. They all, excluding Viper, put on the worst poker faces the feline had ever seen. "Only because it would cause us to be late for morning training, I will let this slide. For now." She turned away from them and disappeared into the corridor, Viper getting up and following. The others looked at each other, then back at the hallway.

"That was way too close," Po said.

"Agreed," they mumbled.

"Let's just…go on to training." They stood and began walking toward the training hall, when Tigress poked her head back into the kitchen.

"And just for the record, all tigers are _orange _with _black_ stripes," she said, and, just as quickly as she come, left again. They starred at the doorway for a second, and then kept walking, two of the warriors wearing huge grins, and the other two scowling.

"In your face," Crane whispered.

"Shut up."

**A/N: So what'd you think? Better than my last one, I hope. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 4

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a one-shot like this. I think it turned out pretty well, though. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda.**

They ran. Or flew or slithered. Whatever it took to get away from the quickly advancing burning forest behind them. The naive bandits they were trying to catch on their current mission, had set their campsite on fire, but not knowing how to do it properly the situation quickly escalated, and had consumed the bandits and almost all of the nature behind them. Po was panting heavily, trying to keep up with the rest of his comrades but with the combination of smoke and exhaustion, he could tell he wouldn't last much longer before collapsing, he nor the rest of his comrades.

Suddenly Tigress, who was trying to lead them away from the fire, stopped flat, causing the others to collide into her from behind.

"OW! What the heck-", cried Monkey, who was the first to hit her.

Tigress turned to face them. "We can't keep running!" she shouted over the roar of the blaze. "It's no use! We'll die before we get to safe ground!" She surveyed their surroundings and, by some miracle of the gods, spotted a small river off of a low cliff to the side of the path they were following.

"This way, quickly!" She said and took off toward it. The others were quick to follow. When they arrived they could see that although the river was small, it was _very_ deep with a strong, steady current. Jumping in would almost be no better that staying on land but what choice did they have?

"Mantis, hold on to Monkeys tail and don't let go." Tigress ordered. Mantis complied with no argument. "Viper, slither around Po's arm and try to hold on the best you can." She ordered again and Viper quickly coiled around the bear as tight as she could.

"Po, Monkey, when you jump in keep your knees as close to your body as you can. When you hit the water, don't fight the current; flow with it and swim off to the west side, and try to keep sight of the others. Crane, if you can, get above the trees and see if all of us emerge. Understood?" she said. They quickly nodded. With the fire rapidly advancing, they wasted no time and jumped into the water.

The impact turned out to be the easy part. They soon realized that the current was even stronger than it looked. Po was actually having the least trouble of them all, his body weight keeping him afloat. He checked to see if Viper was still on his arm, which she was, and slowly forced his way to shore. Despite his advantage, he was still getting hit with wave after wave of water that pushed him under numerous times. After a good struggle, he drug himself onto shore, coughing up lungs of water. His head cleared and he saw that Viper was okay and watching the shore for the others. He shakily stood up and joined her.

"You see anyone yet?" he asked, worried.

"No, and it's been over two min-… wait, what that?" she asked.

Po looked around. Suddenly he saw a hand pop up out of the water. Monkey and Mantis. Monkey was struggling hard against the flow of the water but it was doing him no good.

"Oh man…" Po said. "Stay here. I'll be right back, I have to help them!"

"Po wait-!" Viper shouted, but Po had already plunged back into the river. He was immediately pulled under water by a wave of water but quickly surfaced again, his concern for his friends making the current seem almost nonexistence. He could still see Monkey flailing, desperately trying to stay afloat when he reached them. He grabbed his tail, making sure not to crush Mantis and began to swim back to shore. Their combined weight made the return trim slightly more difficult but he eventually made it to land. Po rolled monkey on his back and, not knowing anything else to do, pushed against his chest. He almost immediately started wheezing and turned over to cough and breathe more easily.

"Ugh…" Monkey mumbled. "That wasn't fun. Mantis, you okay?" He asked. That's when they realized that Mantis hadn't moved since they came ashore.

"Mantis!" Viper shouted and on impulse, grabbed his little body, and blew into his mouth. He remained still for a moment, and then his legs started to twitch. Viper set him back down gently. "Hey, you alright?" she asked.

He coughed. "Yeah, I'm fine. But your grip near about squeezed me to death." Despite the situation, Monkey couldn't help but giggle. Po released a sigh of relief before a thought hit him. A thought that had somehow also slipped the mind of his comrades. Tigress_. Tigress_. **Where was TIGRESS? **He rushed back to the water's edge and frantically scanned the surface. He was on the verge of hypervenalating when he saw an orange and black paw emerge from the water. He would have sighed again but he could immediately tell something was wrong. Her head would never come up no matter how hard she struggled. Panicking, He jumped into the river for the third time and forced his way toward her, the current even less of an alibi now that she was in danger of drowning. Upon reaching her he dived under the water and tried to find what was keeping her from surfacing, and what he saw almost stopped his heart. A fallen tree from the fire had landed on her legs when they jumped into the water, and although it had done surprisingly little damage to her physically, it had prevented her from surfacing even once the entire time she had been in the water.

Tigress had gone limp, her eyes staring blankly at nothing in particular, as Po desperately searched for something to lift the log with. Finding nothing, he swam behind her and, wrapping his arms around her torso, he braced his feet against to tree and pulled.

She didn't budge. Fueled by adrenalin, he pulled even harder. This time she did move, but just slightly. Po smiled; all he needed was one good yank and he knew she would come free. Bracing his feet again, He pulled with all his might.

She broke free, her pants ripped and torn, but free. Po pulled her head above the surface and swam back to the edge of the river. He took less than a second to catch his breath, before turning to aid her. His comrades had surrounded him and the unconscious feline, trying to see if she was still alive.

"Tigress?" Crane shouted, landing on the bank with the rest of them. She didn't respond. Not a twitch. Not a blink.

Po put his ear to her chest, then to her nose. There was no beat or breath whatsoever. "No, no!" Po said and flipped her over. He wrapped his arms around her torso again and pumping his fist into her stomach. Mouthfulls of water poured onto the ground with each pump but she still refused to move.

"Guys, what should we do? _She's not breathing!"_ Po shouted, his hands shaking terribly.

"Po, calm down!" Viper spoke up. "You got most of the water out of her lungs. We just have to get her breathing again. Listen to me, step by step. Master Shifu has taught us what to do in this situation."

"Then do it!" He hadn't meant to shout, but he couldn't stop himself.

"I can't. It has to be either you or Monkey."

"Then I'll do it! Hurry, tell me what to do." Po kneeled over Tigress, and waited impatiently.

Viper spoke quickly and calmly, fighting back her own panic over her friend. "Place your hand over the center of her chest and push down, hard and fast with more than one push per second. Do this for thirty seconds exactly."

Po did as told, looking for any sigh of life in his best friend. None came. "What now?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Clamp her nose, and breathe in deep, then cover her mouth with yours and blow into her mouth three times. Be sure that no air is getting away. Hurry!" she instructed him.

He blushed, just slightly, at what he was about to do but he knew this was no time to get flustered. He grabbed her nose, breathed in, pressed his mouth to hers, and blew. He could feel her chest rise as he did, then fall again.

"Okay, repeat the chest pushes, and then redo the whole cycle. I'll feel for a pulse," Viper said. He repeated the cycle again. And again. And again.

"You guys, you've been doing this for a while. I don't- I don't think that-, "Crane started, then cut himself off. Po stopped his attempts for a second, just starring at Tigress' blank, lifeless face. She still hadn't moved, not once since he started, and something in him snapped.

"No!" he shouted, and slapped Tigress across the face. "No! You will not die on me, I refuse it! You've never let anything bring you down before; DON'T START NOW!" He was slapping her with every word he spoke.

"Po! Po STOP! You're not making anything any better!" Monkey shouted, trying to restrain the panda's hand. He resisted at first but slowly stopped, breaking into sobs as he did so. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't. She was Master Tigress, she didn't die. It was not possible. She was too strong, too brave. She didn't die. She didn't. She was…

"Darn you…," Po mumbled, and pulled her body into his lap, crying into her neck. She was gone. His lifelong idol, best friend, and companion. Why was he so stupid! He should have noticed that she was missing earlier! He could have prevented and she would still be alive, leading them back home. He was such a fool. A complete fool…

Po buried his face deeper into her neck, trying to remember every detail he could. The gentle coarseness of her fur; the small body heat that still radiated from her; the soft, rhythmic beat of her pulse…

He blinked. _Her_ _Pulse?_

Po pulled back from her and saw her eyelids fluttering, not closing but still moving, and soon she managed a full blink. Her tail twitched, and she let out a light moan.

"Tigress…," he said.

She smiled at the sound of his voice, and soon her eyes focused on him, then the rest of her comrades, then back on him. "It's about time you guys found me," she breathed out. "I was beginning to wonder…"

"Tigress!" they shouted. All of them surrounded her in one big bear hug. And she let them. Whether it be the fact that she didn't have the strength to push them off, or that she didn't want to, she let them. "Did you really think that I was going to let a little _water_ do me in?" she asked as they pulled away. "You know me better that that."

"You had us worried!" Viper said. "Your pulse had stopped and so had your breathing." The snake looked close to tears, either from sadness or from joy. She could not tell.

"Viper," Tigress spoke up gently, still panting. "I'm okay, really. Just think of the time when we were little and I fell in the Pool of Sacred Tears. Forget drowning, I was afraid of Shifu's response." Viper laughed, along with the others. All but one.

Po was still holding her, technically, with his arm under her shoulders. His face was blank, starring at her as if he was looking at a ghost, like he felt her weight but didn't nothing, like she couldn't be talking, breathing, conversing with them. Like there was no way possible that she could still be alive…

**-()-()-()- The next day At the Palace –()-()-()-**

_Knock knock._

Tigress set down the scroll she was reading and looked at her door. "Come in," she said.

Po hesitantly stepped into her room, twiddling his fingers. "Um, hey. I just wanted to check on you. You weren't in training…"

She smiled gently at him. "I'm fine," she said. "Shifu forbid me to train today, even though I assured him I was okay. There was no point in trying to reason out of it."

"Oh," was his only response. He looked tense, like he wanted to come forward but was afraid to. Tigress raised an eyebrow.

"What's bothering you?"

Po looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Bothering me? Pff, nothing bothering me; what are you tal-"

"Don't play with me panda. Something is nagging you. What is it?"

He continued to stare at her for a moment before walking up to her slowly and placing a shaking paw on her shoulder. As soon as he felt solid, warm muscle underneath, he relaxed, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and sat down beside her on the floor.

Tigress was a little more than confused. "Uhh…Po?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "This probably doesn't make any sense, I just- I thought you had died yesterday… it scared me more that I thought it would. I had to make sure you were still here. I mean still alive and breathing…" He trailed off, his paw was still on her shoulder, and again she didn't move him away. Instead, she took his paw from her shoulder and clasps it between both of hers, getting his attention as she did so.

"Po," she started gently, "I appreciate your concern for me, but you have to understand that in this profession, death is something you face every day. Whether it is fighting in a war, or an assassin outside your window, you can't work your life around it. It is a very real possibility that one day we and the five will go on a simple mission and only five of us will come back. I'm not saying don't feel remorse for your comrades, no at all, but don't let the idea that we cannot be hurt or killed get in your head."

Po looked stunned, and Tigress could instantly tell that she had hit a nerve. She almost felt guilt, but the feeling quickly evaporated when he brought his free paw over hers.

"I know," he said. "I mean I knew that, but I guess I didn't realize it until now. It's just… I can't stand the thought of losing any of you and yesterday I practically watched you die in front of me. I came in here to make sure you were…still here. That I could feel you." He was unknowingly squeezing he paws tighter, still trying to convince himself that she was real.

She didn't know what compelled her to do what she did next. May it be the distraught look on his face or the trembling in his paws, Tigress looked at him for no more than a second longer before leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, shocking the panda to no end. She kept him like that for a moment, freeing one of her paws from his grip and placing it on his shoulder, before slowly pulling away. She was greeted with his dazed, confused but happy face.

"You feel that?" she asked.

After a moment he found his voice again. "Yeah…," he breathed out, never taking his eyes from hers

"_I felt that..."_

**A/N: Wow, this is my longest one yet. Hope you enjoyed it. I know I'm not the best writer, but hey, nobody's perfect. PS: the legends of awesomeness series has gotten a lot better in the new episodes, so if you have stopped watching it, you may want to give it another try. **_**  
><strong>_**Random fact: The tooth paste Colgate did not sell well in Spanish countries because the word colgate, in Spanish, means 'go hang yourself'. **


	7. Chapter 7 A Father's Intuition

A Fathers Intuition  
>-()-()-()-<p>

"Ugh…," I sighed, as I walked up the narrow path to my Master's Sacred Peach Tree. It had not been a good training day, not at all; one would think that six trained Masters would be able to run a simple obstacle without resulting in _two_ burned tails, missing scales, and a bent antenna. There is only so much my sixty-two year old red panda mind could handle before I had to get away.

The Peach Tree was the only place I seemed to find tranquility. Maybe it was the way my Master's presence flowed through the blossoms, bringing a life to the hill that nothing else could. I found myself coming here more often since his accent into the heavens, sometimes to ponder a recent mission, sometimes the calm myself after discovering that my daughter and the Dragon Warrior had snuck out _again_, and sometimes to do just what I was doing now: escaping my mature-when-they-choose-to-be students, Master Tigress included.

I could see the top of the tree now, along with the glow of the candle that we always kept lit there, but… something was wrong. I could feel another presence – two of them actually – already at the top of the hill. As I arrived I was greeted with the sight of none other than two of my acclaimed students. Po was sitting with his back against the tree, my daughter in his lap, and his arms wrapped around her torso. They were laughing at something and Tigress was wearing the golden locket that Po bought her for her adoption date (which was technically her birthday) last month. My mind had to override my instinct to separate them; after all I had given them my blessing over half a year ago and they always came to me before every big step in their relationship, though I made it VERY clear that they would keep their relationship at a certain level before marriage.

I told myself, when I took her home from the orphanage, that I wouldn't give Hu-Lan away to anyone, unable to bear the thought of losing another child. Oh, offers had come over the years from numerous suitors down south, only interested my daughter's and I's political standout, and nothing else. One Bengal had taken it so far as to show up personally with meaningless gifts and an ego the size of Po's appetite. Let's just say he left with a little less manhood than he came with. It took Po to finally break that self-promise. But then, Po was different.

From the beginning I could tell he saw my daughter differently. She wasn't just a peace in a game to him, as many men see women; like they're a tile in a mahjong set - something that could be attained quick and replaced just as easily. No, no, not Po. He treats everything, his friends, his family, and even strangers, with a certain care and a specific value. And though he may not be so smooth with the ladies, he certainly knows how to treat one. He loves my daughter unconditionally, possibly the only one who does so more than me.

I shook myself from my thought and focused back on the two warriors. They were now on a mini chase, Po trying to catch the feisty feline. He managed to grab her tail and she stopped short, causing him to run into her from behind. They rolled for a minute before they landed with Tigress on top of him. They laughed again and she kissed him gently before elbowing him in the stomach and running away again. I laughed softly and turned back toward the path, deciding to leave them be for now.

_I Trust You Po_, I thought, _Do Not Fail Me._

**AN: If any of you were wondering where my estimation of Shifu's age came from, here's where: I say Shifu was around 22 when Tai Lung arrived at the valley, and that Tai Lung was about 18 when he went crazy, that's 40 all together. Then Tigress was maybe four or five when she came to the palace after Tai lung, and she looks about 24 or 25. That's twenty-one years max at the palace. So 40 plus 21 is 61. And give a year or so to balance it out and bam! You have Shifu's age. :p **


	8. Chapter 8 A Mother's Love

Chapter 8 A Mother's Love

I coughed, and wrapped my cloak closer around me and my child. She was asleep, despite the biting, winter cold and a constant ruckus in the distance I couldn't yet identify. This should be a good thing, her being asleep – she wouldn't cry when I left her – but I want nothing more than for her to be awake so I could stare into her glowing ember eyes. Why am I doing this again? Because my husband and her father had been killed? Because I knew that, without him, there was no way that I would be able to provide a good home for her?

A howl breaks out through the forest, and I'm snapped from my thoughts, and back to my mission at hand. A circular building with a bamboo/tin roof-that's what I'm heading toward. But as I come closer to my goal I finally notice the smoke. Not a light flow through of a dying flame, but a thick, choking cloud that makes me cough again and cover my baby's face with her blanket, just enough to block it out. I hear more howls, louder, and- a bird's yell, I think. Something is going on, but I don't have time to wonder about it now. I have arrived, leaving the worst of the smoke cloud behind me, and slowly walk up to the old, grey building that is the Bao Gu Orphanage.

I stand and stare for the longest time. It's near midnight, so no candles are lit in the building except for a lantern beside the door. It seems even colder now, out in the open, than it did in the forest. My daughter stirs slightly, throwing the blanket off her striped orange face and looking up at me with a happy yawn, and I can't help but smile back. _She's so beautiful_… I think to myself, not weak or fragile, but strong-built and sturdy with wide front paws.

"Like your father…" I say out loud, unconsciously.

I take my time walking up to the steps, or maybe lollygag is a better way to describe it. The building looks so unforgiving and harsh in the moonlight, like a place they keep misbehaved children, not troubled orphans. Again I hear howls, and now someone is running along the edge of the forest, though I can't see who. When I can delay my trip to the orphanage door no longer, I look back down at my child and gently trace the patterns on her face with my finger. I can tell she is already falling back asleep, but I don't know if I should be glad or sad.

"Maaaaa…", She says, reaching up and touching my face, then grabbing one of my whiskers and giving it a good yank. I yelp, and she lets go, giggling. She has her father's strength too.

Her eyelids, ever so slowly, began to drift back down, and soon she is asleep again, breathing softly with her tail in her mouth, the same way she had since the day she was born. I, holding back tears that are dangerously close to spilling over, kneel down and am about to set my bundle on the steps when something catches my eye. The someone I had heard running in the woods has emerged with an expression of sheer terror. She's a panda, and looks to be around my age. She wears a thick robe and is holding something very protectively to her chest. And then she sees me, her gave locked with mine; she's turned just enough so that I can see that she is holding. A-a _baby_. A baby panda. Despite wearing no clothing, he or she doesn't look cold, and appears to be no older than my daughter.

The baby's mother is still starring, and I notice something I hadn't before. She doesn't just look terrified, she looks…determined? Determined to do what? I never get the chance to find out, before an ear piercing snarl erupts from behind her and she looks from me back to the forest. She turns and bolts in the opposite direction the howl had come from, followed by a rough looking wolf pack and a peacock, and they all disappearing into the forest.

I stare at the spot she had just been for a moment longer, trying to understand what I had just witnessed. I hadn't seen a panda or a peacock in over ten years; what could possibly be going on that I would see both of them in the same night? Unfortunately, I don't have much time to think, before my daughter demands my attention again. She shivers, even with the two blankets wrapped around her, and I remove my outer cloak and wrap it around her also, to which she almost immediately stops shaking. Finally setting her on the steps, I lean down and kiss her nose, then her forehead, then both of her eyes. I reach inside my inner cloak and pull out my small tiger doll that I have had since I was four, and tuck it under her arm. Then, I gently kiss her again, stand, and hurry back toward my village, before I have a chance to change my unsettled mind.

**AN: Okay I don't really have much to say about this one. Thought it would be interesting… **


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